Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has confirmed a budget of around £1.7m per year to deliver the actions contained within the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus (SHBBV) Action Plan 2023-26. This includes a range of projects that support HIV transmission elimination, details of which were published with the SHBBV plan.

Within this, the Scottish Government has also provided funding for the national HIV anti-stigma campaign (£250,000 in 2022-23), the development of an ePrEP clinic (£400,000 in 2022-23), emergency department opt-out testing pilots (£145,000), online postal self-sampling for STIs and HIV (£119,000 in 2023-24, and £300,000 per year allocated in 2024-25 and 2025-26) and the Terrence Higgins Trust HIV self-test service (around £100,000 per year).

The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body last reviewed its flag-flying policy at its meeting on Thursday 9th May. The SPCB discussed its policy on the flying of flags at Holyrood and how significant events and/or anniversaries were marked.  The SPCB confirmed it remained content with the current Policy and agreed a framework to aid decisions on requests to fly additional flags.

The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has previously accepted requests to fly the Rainbow flag to mark Edinburgh Pride Day, which usually falls on the last Saturday of June. To date, the SPCB has not received a request to fly the Rainbow flag this year. Other ways events can be marked include Members’ debates and Member-sponsored events.

The Scottish Government set out the 2024-25 public sector pay metrics today in a new Framework for a multi-year Pay Policy covering 2024-25, 2025-26 and 2026-27. The cumulative impact of the pay metrics across the 3-year period is 9.3% compared with forecast CPI inflation of 5.7% over the same period. Employers are encouraged to continue our established progressive pay approach, which may include additional protections for the lowest paid.

https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836013686

While good progress has been made on the due diligence related to a Teckal compliant direct award to CalMac and we have clarity on the remaining issues to be finalised, it is clear that we cannot conclude these by 30 September 2024, which is the end date of the current contract. We therefore propose to implement a contract extension of up to 12 months to enable this work and the assurance processes, to be concluded prior to a final decision. I will provide a further update to Parliament later this year.

When the Ferguson Marine shipyard was threatened with closure in 2019 the Scottish Government stepped forward and saved the business. Taking the yard into public ownership preserved commercial shipbuilding on the Clyde, rescued more than 300 jobs and ensured that the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa vessels – vital for our island communities – will be delivered.

We want to see the yard prosper, be competitive and continue the proud shipbuilding traditions on the Clyde. We are continuing to work with the business to understand its forward plans and to review proposals for investment.

The UK Government’s Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) provides an opportunity to take a whole systems view of our future electricity market and consider how it can be reformed to support further renewable deployment, ensure security of supply and reduce costs for consumers. We are clear that any reforms should support a fair and just transition to net zero. We provided a response to the second REMA consultation on 3 May.

We are aware of the potential impacts, both positive and negative, that locational marginal pricing could have for market participants, and we are cognisant of concerns expressed by the renewables industry in Scotland. We are also aware of potential benefits for consumers, including those in or at risk of fuel poverty, as well as for the decarbonisation of industry, heat and transport through electrification. We continue to call on the UK Government to act quickly to provide further clarity on market reform options.

Glasgow City Council administers and enforces their LEZ and as such receives all penalty charge notice payments. The spending of any monies received from penalty charges in respect of a LEZ scheme is a matter for the local authority. These funds can only be used for the purposes of facilitating the achievement of the scheme’s objectives and thus support air quality/climate change emission reduction measures or supporting the operational cost of the scheme.

Scotland has a regime of statutory salmon conservation orders in place which are refreshed annually. Salmon caught in rivers in poor conservation status, classified as category 3, are not allowed to be retained, thus ensuring the protection of the species where it is at greatest risk.

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on how the Scottish National Investment Bank's £50 million investment in the Ardersier Port will benefit (a) the local area, (b) industry and (c) its climate ambitions.The Scottish National Investment Bank has invested £50 million in Ardersier Port alongside a similar £50 million investment from the UK Infrastructure Bank. This investment follows a £300 million capital commitment from Quantum Capital - the largest private sector port investment for offshore wind to date. The project aligns with the Bank’s net zero mission.

As a result, Ardersier Port is expected to become of strategic importance in supporting the growing offshore wind industry over the coming years. Once operational, the facility will significantly increase the offshore wind port capacity, to support the transition to net zero in Scotland and the UK. As one of the largest industrial regeneration projects in the Highlands in decades, it will re-establish the port as a major local employer, supporting and creating hundreds of jobs. At full capacity it is estimated that the site has potential to enable around 3,000 jobs and reskilling opportunities for the local area.

The global transition to net zero offers enormous economic opportunities for Scotland. Offshore wind is at the heart of both our energy and economic policy. We have made a commitment to invest up to £500 million over 5 years to anchor our offshore wind supply-chain in Scotland. This will support market certainty, helping to create a highly productive, competitive economy, providing thousands of new jobs, embedding innovation and boosting skills. Investments like Ardersier show the Scottish public sector can play a key role in building market confidence and anchoring core parts of the global offshore wind sector in Scotland.